The Forgotten One
by Cortega
Summary: Ash goes missing while battling Cynthia. Years later, a myterious assassin shows up in Pallet Town. Who is he and how is he related to Ash? Read and Review!
1. Battle Time!

Ash winked at May self-confindently from his place on the platform, "Don't worry," He called, "This'll be over quick."

His opponent turned to him, her black coat flaring around her legs and smiled, "Perhaps not, Ash." Cynthia retorted, "I _am_ the Sinnoh champion after all."

Ash grinned, "Maybe, but I'll still win"

He turned around and took stock of their surroundings. His platform backed up to a window with a beautiful view of the sea, Cynthia's guarded a door to the Hall of Fame. Ash smiled again, that's where he was headed.

The referee called the match, "This will be a six-on-six match, between the Champion Cynthia, and the challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, additionally, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon. Begin!"

"Go, Spiritomb!" Cynthia called as she tossed the red and white Pokéball to the field below summoning the keystone from which spread a purple haze, Spiritomb.

"Floatzel, I choose you!" Ash threw his Pokéball, and out came the blue and orange otter.

May watched in excitement. She, along with all of Ash's other traveling companions, had been called to watch him in his battle against the Sinnoh League Champion. Present were Paul, who had unwillingly stayed after losing his match to Lucian (Dawn had put a shock collar around his neck and locked it so that whenever he tried to leave, a jolt of electricity would hit him), Gary, who had grown increasingly impressed by Ash, Misty, who had come to cheer on her friend, Tracey, who had taken a three day train in a compartment of senior citizens and still smelled of prunes, Brock, Ash's eternal traveling partner and practically his brother, Dawn, the new coordinator, Max, who had grown out of his whiny-kid phase and began training a Treeko, and finally May.

Out of all his companions, Ash had missed May most of all. Before she had left to go to Johto, Ash had confessed to her. Confessed his love.

---

FLASHBACK

Two days ago…

Ash lay down in a meadow in the middle of the League Building premises. He was thinking about girls; or rather, one girl in particular: May Maple, the girl who had captured his heart. Around him lay his Pokéballs, containing his Pokémon, exhausted after a grueling workout. The field was liberally scattered with bushes, trees, and several small rivers. He sat up with a jolt as he heard footsteps breaking through the heath and turned to see his crush emerging from the bushes.

"Hi May," Ash began, "how have your contests been going?"

May smiled as she sat down beside him, Ash was always interested in whatever she was doing, "Quite well. Some of them have actually been televised."

"Well travelling on the road, one doesn't get much time to watch TV." Ash frowned, "But…"

May turned to him and waited for him to finish, but no conclusion was forthcoming. _'Does he know how I feel about him? Or will he reject me?'_ Such fears had been plaguing May for the last few years.

"You know what?" Ash began.

"What?" May asked.

"I'm gonna get it out. I'll just say it. I mean, I'm fifteen. I should be able to say or do something about it…"

May was starting to get confused, "About what, Ash?"

Ash turned to her, a determined look on his face, then leaned forward and kissed her. May's eyes dilated in surprise, then retracted as she eased into the kiss. After a few minutes they broke apart, not because of choice, but for lack of oxygen.

"May," Ash said, "I love you."

May sat stunned, then lowered her hands from her face and stuttered, "I-I l-love you t-t-too, Ash."

Ash smiled, then hugged her, "That's what I hoped to hear…"

Unbeknownst to the both of them, they had been silently observed from the bushes downwind from them.

"Oh Ash," Brock cried quietly, tears streaming down his face, "I'm so proud of you."

"I know!" Misty said, "What took him so long?"

"Probably fear of rejection." Gary said, shrugging.

The discussion continued in this vein for quite some time until the three noticed that the new couple was gone.

"I bet they're inside 'bonding'…" Brock said with a creepy smile, then noticed Nurse Joy walking toward the League Building. "Oh, Nurse Joy, your heart shall be min—"

He was cut off mid-sentence as Croagunk jabbed him in the side and Misty dragged him by the ear to his room.

"Heh," Gary muttered, hastening to follow, "some things never change…"

---

The battle between Cynthia and Ash raged, neither side gaining the upper hand for very long. Finally, both contestants were down to one Pokémon each.

"Return Charizard." The orange dragon returned to its Pokéball, Ash looked down at it ruefully, "Good job buddy. Take a nice long rest." Then he turned to the field where Cynthia's Garchomp stood, slightly winded but not very much.

Then he turned to the ever-present companion on his shoulder, "Ready for this Pikachu?"

The yellow lightning mouse answered in affirmative as it leaped off the platform to the field, twenty feet below.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"

Cynthia's eyebrows shot up in surprise, Volt Tackle was an extremely powerful that only very powerful Pokémon could learn, "Dragon Rush, Garchomp!"

The dragon charged forward, and Pikachu, without meaning to, aimed where instinct told him to.

The electrified tackle struck Garchomp right in the knee, causing a cry of pain as Garchomp sunk to the ground. Her claws were curled around her leg as she stood up shakily. Then, forcing the pain away, she charged again, fulfilling her master's last command. Pikachu, still electrified from the volt tckle went flying. Right into Ash.

Ash spasmed as the electricity coursed from Pikachu to him, then the platform shuddered. A support had been damaged during Charizard and Garchomp's battle and in a desperate attempt to save those he loved most, Ash threw all of his pokeballs and Pikachu to the floor below as he toppled out of the window.


	2. Without a Trace

**It occurs to me that I did not introduce myself earlier. I am Cortega. I am and Advanceshipper. For those of you offended by such things… LIGHTEN UP! Anyway, here's the next chapter, I don't own Pokémon, blahblahblah. Review and send me your feedback. Paul's WAY OOC in this, because I felt like making him have a soul. Creepy isn't it, Paul having a soul…**

**Also, ages and last names. Most characters don't have last names, so I will make one up. Also, I will give them their ages considering each season of the anime as one year. Also, any character with ages not stated or not obviously older will be the same age as the debut character of their season. So since Ash and Misty are the same age, and five years younger than Brock, then Tracey (having his age never stated) will be the same age as Ash. Likewise, Drew is the same age as May, and Paul the same as Dawn. So:**

**-Ash Ketchum-15**

**-Gary Oak-15**

**-Misty Seablue-15**

**-Brock Rockford-20**

**-Tracey Skechit-15**

**-May Maple-13**

**-Max Maple-11**

**-Dawn Berlitz-12**

**-Paul Blackstone-12**

---

May sat stunned in the waiting room of the police station. Ash was missing, gone. Also in the room were Dawn, Misty, and Max, all huddled together, eyes red from lack of sleep, Brock, sitting stoically in a corner, Drew and Tracey, both pacing the room nervously, anxious for news, and surprisingly, Paul. Lastly, in the room's fourth corner on the floor sat Cynthia and she was a mess. Her hair was erratic from her worrying and she clutched her face between her hands, eyes wide in the horror of what she had done.

May walked over to Cynthia, narrowly missing being hit by Tracey and Drew in their frantic pacing, "Cynthia, it's not your fault."

She removed her hands from her face. Like Misty, Dawn, and Max, her eyes were red, but from crying, not sleep deprivation, and long lines of water streaked her face, "Yes, it is May. If I hadn't told Garchomp to use Dragon Rush, Ash would still be here." She buried her face in her hands again, taking great handfuls of her black coat to dry her tears.

May crouched down next to her and drew a tissue from her belt pack, giving it to the distraught woman, "No, Cynthia, it's not," The blond shook her head vigorously while keeping her face hidden, accepting the tissue and blowing her nose, "That support was already weakened, and it was probably collapsing anyway." May thought fast to make up the lie.

Cynthia turned her face upward, a mask of pain and self deprecation, "Thanks, May. I know how much he means to you."

May smiled, so their secret wasn't as well hidden as they had thought, "You're welcome, let me help you up."

May stooped and hoisted Cynthia up on her shoulder, the woman putting her arm around May's shoulder to support herself on shaky legs. Just then, Officer Jenny walked in, somber-faced, hands behind her back. May and Cynthia hobbled over clumsily while everyone else crowded around Jenny, bombarding her with questions.

Jenny held up a hand to stem the tide of questions, keeping the other carefully out of view, "Please, one at a time."

"Did you find him?" May asked, everyone else parting to make room for her and the Sinnoh Champion.

Jenny grimaced sadly, then produce her other hand, brandishing a hat. A red hat. Ash's hat. May took it in her hands, turning it over. It was shredded in many places, the only fully intact part being the Blue Pokéball symbol in the front. Then she noticed that her cheeks were wet and wondered when it had started raining. Then she tasted salt and realized she was crying. Cynthia looked at the hat for a moment, then collapsed on the ground and began sobbing, repeating that it was her own fault, over and over.

May could only stand shocked as the hat was passed around to all the people, when it got to Paul, he took it in his hands and broke down in a fit of sobbing. Dawn and Brock looked at him stunned. He had always talked Ash down, so they had no idea why he was crying.

Paul wiped his face and continued crying, "I know. I always pretended to hate him, but deep down, I really admired him for his courage. And now…" He couldn't finish the sentence and sank down next to Cynthia, and began crying into her shoulder. She turned and hugged him, and each of them was crying into the other's shoulder.

May sank down beside them on her knees. Ash was gone.

Ash was gone.

---

_Six days later; Gateon Port, Orre; 7:17 PM_

Daniel walked along the beach, letting the surf wash over his feet. He hated this place. He wished he could leave, but he didn't have the money. But once he did… His thoughts were interrupted as he saw a dark mass wash up on the sand. It was dark so it wasn't immediately clear what it was. Daniel shuddered, it was getting cold, he should be returning home. If it could be called that. He was about to leave when he heard a splash. He turned to see the dark mass moving.

Fearing the worst he drew near it, drawing his pistol and keeping one hand to his waist in case it attack, with the other pulling out a flashlight and pointing at it. It was a person. He holstered his gun back in place and turned them over. It was a kid, maybe fifteen, with tan skin wearing clothes that looked like they had been in the water for days. He sighed and, with a grunt, lifted the boy onto his shoulder and carried him. Nobody stopped him, for the people of Orre were used to seeing strange sight, like seeing twenty year old men carrying unconscious fifteen year olds.

He descended the stair to the subway, now run down as the subterranean transit had been abandoned for years, and dropped down onto the tracks. The lighting flickered as he made his way down to the dump he called home. It was an underground community that had been built long ago. They took in anyone, as long as you didn't cause trouble.

Daniel lowered the boy onto his pathetic excuse of a couch, a mattress he had scavenged from a garbage dump from a cruise liner that had no use for it anymore, and went to the kitchen to make food. He was finished in less than ten minutes, cooking his noodles in the microwave and one for the boy. He took his bowl and sat on the couch, turning on a TV that was older than he was. He felt the boy move and turned to him.

The boy opened his eyes slowly, "Where am I?"

"Gateon Port. Orre." Daniel said, noting the lightning bolt-like scars under the boy's eyes, "My name's Daniel. What's yours?"

The boy frowned, as if trying to solve a math problem, "I don't know…"

Daniel gave the boy an 'are-you-messing-with-me' look, "Whaddaya mean? Everybody's got a name."

The boy scowled at him, "I know that,_ Daniel_, I just don't know mine."

Daniel sighed, "Well, we've gotta think of somethin' to call you, or I can just call you 'kid'."

The boy thought hard, "I don't know."

Daniel sighed again, "How about, you let you mind go blank. The first word you think of, that'll be your name."

The boy nodded and closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them, "Jericho. Call me Jericho."

---

**Well, hope you like it. Review and tell me where you think I should take this from here.**


	3. Impending Storm

**Hello again people. I've got most of the plot set out, but I first need to get it rolling. For those of you smart enough to figure out who Jericho is, good for you. For those of you who aren't, please do not reproduce. There are enough stupid people already. Oh, and I don't own Pokémon. Naw duh.**

**---**

_Five Years Later_

May walked through the rain. She probably could have pulled out her umbrella, but she felt too sad today. It was the fifth anniversary of Ash's disappearance. Each year she could almost feel the hole in her heart healing, until the day it was ripped open again. Every year was a fresh reminder. Ash Ketchum was dead and gone.

"Hey Max." She said as she entered the house that her brother and his girlfriend Kathryn, a girl from LaRousse City, shared.

"Awesome." Max called, he appeared at the top of the staircase, his hair was disheveled and his glasses skewed on his face, "Did you get the latest book by Professor Oak?"

"Yes. What are you—" May cut herself off, "Never mind, I don't want to know."

Max grinned evilly, "Good."

Kathryn appeared beside him, her signature orange clothing a bit looser than when May had left the house, "Hi May."

"Hey Kath." Only May could call Kathryn that, "Want me to go get dinner, Max?" She looked down as she spoke, trying to keep the tear in her eyes from flowing.

Max looked at his sister with concern, long ago, his mother had made her promise to keep him safe. Now he was the one holding her together, "No, I'll get it."

At that moment, he would have given anything for Ash to be alive. Anything.

---

"Well, Daniel," his employer began, "That was quite an impressive assassination you pulled off." Jericho grimaced, wondering what the man wanted now. He only praised Daniel when he needed another thing done.

Daniel just smiled to cover his irritation, he and Jerry, as he fondly referred to him now, had been doing assassination and espionage jobs for the past five years to pay for two tickets to anywhere. The price of tickets had skyrocketed soon after Jericho had been found and they had found themselves unable to buy passage anywhere.

Jericho looked to his waist where and ornamental katana sat in its sheath. Daniel had given it to him as a present for his eighteenth birthday. Jericho had insisted that he take it back, stating that it must have cost him a fortune and that getting out of Orre was most important. Daniel had smile and said that Jericho's happiness was more important to him. Over the years, they had become as close as brothers.

Daniel spoke to the man, "Well sir, I couldn't have done it without my partner. However, I am afraid that our relationship will be short lived, as we will both be leaving soon."

"Really," the man drummed his hands on his armrest, "just one more job and you'll have enough money to leave Orre then?"

"Yes sir." Daniel said respectfully, "It has been good working with you. Now what is our last job to be?"

The man behind the desk grinned, true the duo had been the best hitmen he'd had in years, but he knew that everyone had their own purposes, "I'll tell you what. I'll pay you double the amount you just received for this last one for this next job."

Daniel exchanged a brief look with Jericho, "That is very gracious sir. What is it?"

"I need you to go and bring back one of my kids." Daniel sighed, their employer called anyone indebted to him his "kid", "Very well, name?"

"Dr. Kaminko, he owes me a great deal. Bring him to me, and you will have enough money to sail away from here to anywhere."

Daniel nodded, "Very well."

---

_Six hours later_

"How much longer, Daniel?" Jericho moaned.

"Just a few more minutes until he does." Daniel sighed.

"Fine but—" Jericho was cut off as a sleazy-looking old man left the bar they were staking out.

"Let's go." Daniel said. He emerged from the car first, closest to the Doctor. As Jericho exited, he felt a shudder as the doctor tripped.

BOOM!

The building beside the old man exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere. Jericho was still behind the car, but Daniel got hit by the brunt of the blast. The doctor himself was no more than a dark red smudge on the sand.

Jericho rushed around the car and knelt next to Daniel, "You're going to be okay." He started, then saw the wound, and knew it was a lie. A piece of metal had embedded itself in Daniel's chest, puncturing his heart.

"No Jerry." Daniel began, gasping for breath, "I won't, but you will. There's enough money for one person to leave. Take my gun and protect yourself." Daniel released the belt that held his holster in place and put in Jericho's hands.

"No Daniel. I won't leave without you." Tears began to leak from Jericho's eyes. The tough-guy image he had built up over the years collapsing.

"You have no choice. But Jericho," Daniel was shuddering now, trying to hold on long enough to speak, "promise me one thing."

Jericho turned his head toward Daniel and saw the pleading look in his eyes, "Anything…"

Daniel drew in a trembling breath, "Promise me that you will find out who you are; who you were before I found you. Promise me." He gripped Jericho's shirt with a shaking hand, "Promise me."

Jericho nodded, "I promise."

But Daniel could not hear him anymore, nor would he ever hear anything again.

---

Jericho looked back only once as the boat left Gateon Port. One last goodbye to his friend. Then he ran down to his room. He was ready to fall asleep when he heard a knocking on his door. Getting up, he put one hand to his sword, and opened the door. Outside stood a young man, hidden beneath a black cloak.

"Jericho?" The man asked.

"Jericho cringed, there was something about this man that exuded respectability, "Yeah, what's it to you?"

The man smiled, "You seek to find information about your former life, and I know the one person who knows it."

Jericho was interested now, "Who?"

The man handed him a photograph. It depicted a smiling boy surrounded by Pokémon. Jericho had to vent a whistle of awe. The boy had a lot of them and many looked very powerful. Jericho himself had captured one, but that was another story.

"This is Ash Ketchum, and the last photograph ever taken of him. He vanished five years ago."

Jericho frowned. The boy looked familiar. Maybe they had known each other before. And five years, that was when he had washed up on the beaches of Gateon. Maybe their disappearances were connected.

"Thank you, sir." He began, but when he looked up, the hallway was empty.

---

_The same time, Pallet Town, Kanto_

May cried softly in her bedroom. In her hands was a portrait of her and Ash sitting in a meadow holding hands, drawn by Tracey.

"It's okay May." A soft voice said from the hallway.

May knew who it was before ever looking up, "Thanks Mrs. Ketchum, but it's not."

As the years had gone by, Ash's death had pulled all of his companions and rivals together. Brock and Lucy, the former Pike Queen, lived down the road from Max and Kathryn, and were just across the street from Delia Ketchum, where May had been residing over the last five years, helping Ash's mom renovate her house. Paul and Cynthia had begun dating a few years after Ash had disappeared, and just the past month, Paul had proposed to her. Cynthia of course, accepted happily. Almost everyone had gotten over Ash's death except two people.

May sat desolate in the house of Ash's childhood. Some days felt slightly less melancholy than others, but all were depressing. Pikachu however, never gave up hope. Every day at the break of dawn, he would take a long walk from the house and sit vigil on the hill that overlooked the town. Every day he would sit, wrapped in a small blanket with only a bowl of Pokémon food and a bottle of water, for the whole day, facing the east. There was no day on which Pikachu would not be seen on the hill, no matter the given weather, whether it be rain, sun, or snow. There on the hill he would sit. Many of Ash's friends felt sorry for Pikachu, loyally his master who would never return.

Little did they know how wrong they would be.

---

**So I was asked to make longer chapters. And so I did. Hope you like it.**


	4. Good Sir Paul

**So for those of you who are up to date on the story, good. For those of you who aren't, GO BACK AND READ IT! **

---

When the boat finally docked in Vermilion City, Jericho was the first off the ship, sliding down the ramp and strolling away. After hacking the missing person's database, a skill he learned from Daniel, he had found that Ash Ketchum was from Pallet Town. That was where he was headed. He was almost to the entrance to Route 11 when he was blocked by a tall man with spiky blond hair.

"Get out of my way." He said testily, "I have no time for your vexations."

"Well," said the man, "those are big words coming from a baby. And one that dresses weird at that."

It was true, Jericho did look strange. His face was hidden beneath moustache and beard. He was dressed in boots that climbed up to his shins. Loosely tucked under them was a pair of jeans. His shirt was blue silk and was interwoven with metal plates, giving it the look of flexible armor. Atop his head he wore a blue hat with a yellow Pokéball symbol in the front. To complete the look he wore a dark blue cape that whirled as he turned.

He shrugged, "So, I don't care for my appearance. Now get out of my way, or I'll make you."

"That sounds like a threat. Care to make good on it." The man drew a Pokéball from his belt.

Jericho looked up at him, "Who are you anyway?"

"Lt. Surge, gym leader of this city." The man smirked, "So, want to battle?"

Jericho smirked in turn, turning over a Pokéball in his hands, "One-on-three?"

"Sure, pick your three."

"No, I meant _you_ pick your three."

Lt. Surge scowled, "Okay punk, you're gonna pay for that insult. One on three it is."

Jericho smiled, then tossed his one Pokéball between them, "Go!"

---

Cynthia sat on her bed, tears flowing freely from her eyes, regretting the day she believed she had caused the death of Ash Ketchum. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned. It was her fiancé. He smiled as he sat down on the bed and took both her hands.

"So beautiful a woman should not cry on such a day, even if that day is a reminder of sadness." Paul said gently, "Cynthia, it wasn't your fault. And no matter how much you beat yourself up over it," His eyes filled with tears as well, "it won't bring him back."

Cynthia fell on top of his shoulder," I know." She said, "But I just have a feeling that he's not really gone."

Paul smiled at her, "Of course he isn't. His legacy lives on in every person he ever met. Including you." Putting a hand under her chin, he kissed her.

Cynthia smiled, "Thank you, Paul."

Paul smiled back, then seized up for a moment.

"Paul?" Cynthia asked worriedly.

Paul relaxed again, then turned with a hard look on his face, "Something's about to happen, I need to get there."

Cynthia knew about how Paul's danger sense was almost always right, "Go. But be safe."

---

Lt. Surge kneeled on the ground, panting, his unconscious Pokémon scattered around him as Jericho's behemoth returned to its Pokéball.

"What are you?" He asked, "Who are you?"

Jericho smiled sadly, "I wish I knew." He answered cryptically.

Then he walked past the tired man, disappearing into the darkness. A short time later, a dark shadow split the evening sky and cut through the clouds, leaving behind a lighted city, and a bewildered Gym Leader. Lt. Surge just shook his head, while a long way away, a Pikachu sat in silent vigil.

---

_FLASHBACK, Five Years Ago_

"So, Jericho…" Daniel began.

"Yeah?" Jericho replied

"I was going through your pockets and I found a few things."

Daniel handed him a tray, upon which was laid out five items. The first was half of a Pokéball attached to a chain. The second was a fishing lure depicting a girl with bright orange hair and yellow clothing. The third and fourth items were contest passes for the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions. The fifth and final item was half a ribbon.

Jericho picked up the ribbon as Daniel began to examine and comment on the other items.

"This Pokéball is on a chain. Maybe it was important to you."

Jericho looked at it and felt nothing. Daniel moved on to the lure.

"Hmm. Maybe you had a girlfriend." He joked, "Oh well, maybe you're better well rid of her."

Jericho chuckled as he said that, watching Daniel move on to the two plastic cards.

"Two contest passes… maybe you were a coordinator. But you don't look it. You've got the build of a trainer. Otherwise, you were a very good-looking trainer. What's that?"

Jericho turned his attention back to the ribbon… and clutched his head as a miasma of pain broke out. The ribbon fell from his hands but was caught by Daniel. Daniel looked at him with concern.

"What's wrong?"

Jericho panted as the pain receded, "Nothing."

He took the ribbon again and this time, there was only a slight twinge in his mind.

"I-I remember this."

"That's good." Daniel prompted.

"There was a-a girl. Her name… I can't remember. But it feels _really_ important. Like a treasure."

Daniel smiled, he already felt attached to the boy. Though it would put a hole in his plans for leaving, he would keep the boy safe.

"Maybe you loved her."

Jericho looked at the ribbon, thoughts flashing through his head.

"Maybe…"

---

Pikachu sat upon the same hill he had sat on for the past three years. In his heart, he knew that Ash would never return, yet he could not stop but have hope that somehow, he would return. As he was getting up to return home, he saw a long, dark shadow slice through the clouds above and descend a bit away. He settled back down, keeping to the darkness as a bearded man in strange clothing exited the bushes. He was wearing a combination of clothing that made him look halfway between a ninja and a ranger.

Something inside Pikachu told him to betray himself, so he dashed from the undergrowth into the stranger's path. The man regarded him with a mixture of coldness and interest. Then, appearing to act on interest, he knelt down.

"Hello there, friend." The man began, "My name's Jericho. I was wondering if I could find information on a certain person." Then the man made a face, "Look at me, talking to a Pikachu. You probably don't even understand me."

"Pika-pika." Pikachu chattered indignantly, "Pika-pi, Pikachu."

Jericho's eyes widened as he heard the lightning mouse answer in affirmative, "Well, you are an intelligent one. Would you guide me to Pallet Town I wonder?"

"Pikachu." Pikachu nodded to met sure the man got it, then scrambled u the proffered arm to his shoulder. Something about the man just made him feel trustworthy.

The man's eyes got a hard look in them, "Now let's go find out who I am."

---

"Come on Kathryn." Max called back, "You're so slow."

"Wait Max." She groaned, her arms drooping, "I'm tired."

"Oh, don't be so whiny." Max jested, extending an arm, "Come on."

She smiled, taking his arm as he led her through the woods. They were on one of their customary evening walks that consisted of almost a mile from Pallet and back, taking almost an hour to return, as they drew near to the town, they saw the hill upon which Pikachu sat each day. But on this day, he was not there.

"Where's Pikachu?" Max asked as they continued past it, "He's always here until the sun goes down, and that's not for another half hour."

"Maybe he got tired." Kathryn suggested.

"No." Max shook his head, "Pikachu never leaves until sunset, so where is he?"

Just then, there was a rustling in the bushes beside the road. Max turned and looked at them. They were completely still, but that was a sign that there was somebody there. If a bush moves naturally, it should move again, but if not, there's someone hiding in them.

"Go Gallade." He threw the Pokéball, and out came the Blade Pokémon, "Use Psycho Cut."

Gallade charged and struck at the bush with its arm, but was met with the clang of metal on metal.

"A Gallade, huh." A cold voice issued from the bush, "Impressive, but not enough."

With a grunt, Gallade was shoved back to reveal a stranger holding a gleaming katana with Pikachu on his shoulder. Gallade rushed forward again, but his attack was deflected as the man blocked again, they continued to trade blows, neither gaining the upper hand when Max broke in.

"Hey, are you two done?"

The man eyed him coldly, "You attacked me first."

"Who are you?"

The man scoffed, "It depends on whether you're asking my name, or who I am."

"Well, what's your name?"

"Jericho."

"And who are you?"

Jericho scoffed again, "I wish I knew."

"What's that supposed to mean."

"None of your business, kid." He turned to leave, "Pikachu, you coming?"

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu charged up the man's leg to his shoulder.

"Pikachu?!" Max cried, "What're you doing?"

Pikachu turned and looked at Max with a bored look, "Pika-pi." He said, pointing at the town."

"You know him?" Jericho asked.

"Yeah, he was my friend's before…" Max halted.

Jericho turned, suddenly interested, "Before what?"

Max looked down, "Before he disappeared."

"Was his name Ash Ketchum by any chance?"

Everyone present looked at him shocked, "How did you know?" Max asked.

"I am seeking him for answers." The man handed him a photograph.

Max took the photo in both hands, it showed Ash surrounded by all his Pokémon, "Where did you get this?"

"A man on a privately chartered yacht gave it to me. I never saw him again."

Max swallowed hard, "Ash Ketchum is dead."

"Or is he?" Max looked up, understanding what the man was implying, "Now tell me everything you know about him."

Max was taken aback at the sudden change of manner, "What?"

"He knows who I am, it's the only way I'll ever find out who I am." Jericho's eyes flashed dangerously.

"But he's dead."

The man pulled out a gun and pointed it at Max, "Tell me or I'll shoot." The craziness in his eyes grew brighter.

"I-I can't. I don't know!" Max moved in front of Kathryn to protect her.

"Tell me!" Spit flew from his mouth, he cocked the gun.

Max closed his eyes, waiting for the shot.

Then there was a thud, followed by a softer one. Max opened his eyes slowly to see Paul standing over the man's inert body.

"Why is it," Paul asked wryly, "whenever something happens, it is _always_ you?"

---

**Sorry people. I wanted to move the story a little faster along, so I changed the summary to fit the new plot. Enjoy!**


	5. And so the Penny Drops

**Hey guys, it's been a while. I'm going to wrap this up soon, so bear with me.**

---

"So he tried to shoot you?" Brock asked.

"Well, he pulled a gun on us. But, I don't know if he would have shot us if Paul hadn't brained him. Thanks Paul." Max said.

"Don't mention it." Paul said, "You'd do the same for me. Besides, I _am_ the only one with formal police training."

"Yeah, yeah." Gary broke in, "The point is, who is this guy, and why was he looking for Ash?"

After hitting the man known as Jericho over the head, Paul and Max had sent Kathryn home and taken the unconscious man to the police station. After handcuffing him in the interrogation room, they had called the others there. Gary and Dawn, who had been dating for months, showed up first, followed by Brock, who had left Lucy to run the gym, May, Cynthia, Misty and Tracey, who by now were married.

"Hey Paul," Dawn began, "what exactly did you hit him with?"

"My snowboard."

"What?! But it's summer!"

Paul pointed out the window, indicating a long streak of fresh snow that ran from his house to the edge of town, "I used Weavile's Ice Beam."

"Oh." Dawn fell silent, contemplating this.

"Hello all." A familiar voice said.

They all turned, "Riley!" Dawn called.

The dark-clothed man entered, his Lucario close by his side, "What all this about?" He asked, gesturing to them and the unconscious man in the other room.

"Well," May began, "that guy pulled a gun on Max, and Paul hit him with a snowboard in the head."

Riley nodded as if this was the norm, then Lucario's eyes closed and focused its aura. Then it opened its eyes with a shocked expression and nudged Riley, transferring its thoughts to him in the blink of an eye. Riley stepped back, then shook his head in awe.

"Lucario says that he burns like Ash."

Dawn tilted her head, "What do you mean 'burns'?"

"Aura." Riley replied simply, "Lucario views aura as a fire around a person. His," He gestured to the man, "burns blue, like Ash's did."

Officer Jenny entered the room, "We've finished sorting through his things."

"And?" Paul prompted, "Anything of interest?"

Jenny shook her head, "Nothing of importance. All he had on him was a gun, a katana, and a bag of some stuff."

"Thank you Jeneveve." Paul said, "You are dismissed."

Jenny nodded while Paul turned to the others, "I think I'll go and have a chat with him." And left.

---

Jericho groaned, clutching his head, "Gah…"

"Well, you wouldn't be in such pain if you hadn't been pointing a gun at my friend."

Jericho looked up, every system on full alert, "Who're you man?"

The man across from the table was tall with blue hair and a stern face, looking at him with neither wariness nor deprecation, both of which he was used to. Something about him seemed familiar, but Jericho was unable to place his metaphorical finger on it, then dismissed the thought, telling himself that the man across from him had "one of those faces".

"Name's Paul, Paul Blackstone. I'm the captain of the police here in Pallet, now what were you doing, trying to shoot my friend?"

Jericho grimaced, remembering how he had let his emotions get the better of him, "I apologize for what I did, but I'm desperate for answers."

Paul looked at him with concern, then slid a bottle of water across the table, "I bet you're thirsty, you were out for five hours. Now why don't we start with your name?"

Jericho took a swig of the bottle, "Depends."

"On what?" Paul asked.

"Whether you're asking who I am, or what I named myself."

Paul tapped the table with a finger, something about this man was familiar, but unlike Jericho, he regarded his instincts as being normally right, but for now, he would keep them to himself.

"Why don't we start with what I can call you?"

"Name's Jericho." He took another sip.

"… do you have a last name, Jericho?"

"No."

"Well then," Paul said, "who are you?"

Jericho shrugged, "Don't know."

Paul sat still for a moment while Jericho finished the rest of the water, "What do you mean? Everyone's—"

"Don't tell me about 'everyone', kid!" Jericho spat suddenly, "I washed up on a beach in Orre five years ago with no idea who I was or where I came from! I can't even remember my own birthday!" He reached up a hand and noticed for the first time that they were handcuffed together. Oh well, he had ways of escape if needed.

Paul nodded slowly, processing the information. Pieces were beginning to fall into place, but the final picture didn't add up. "That's terrible, man." He got up and walked to the door, "We'll try to find out what's going on. So just sit tight. I'll just go now, let you settle down."

As he turned to leave he heard Jericho speak, "Hey can you do me a favor?"

Five years ago, Paul would have turned up his nose and left, but his relationship with Cynthia had mellowed him, "Yeah?"

"Run my prints through Missing Persons for me, will you?"

Paul nodded as he left, "Sure, man. I'll do that."

---

"Okay so what do we know about him so far?" Paul asked while taking a long sip of tea. He often used the cloudy drink to calm his nerves and focus his mind. Today, however, it wasn't working particularly well.

"Well, we know his name: Jericho." Brock said.

"We know he's Orrean." Max added.

"He has no idea who he is or where he came from…" Gary muttered, "Tracey, any thoughts?"

Everyone looked to Tracey, who was scratching his chin in thought, "Well, it seems to me that he is suffering from post-traumatic retrograde amnesia."

Everyone in the room looked at him with wide eyes, "What?!" Gary asked in a high pitched voice.

"He is unable to access memory past a certain point due to some form of trauma that occurred. It seems to have only blocked his episodic memory, which is memory of himself and other people, leaving his declarative and semantic memory, facts and meanings, intact."

"So he could be anyone?" May cried out.

"Not quite." Paul said, "He was looking for Ash, which meant he had some connection to him, and he was drawn here, which means he has some connection with this place. But there's another piece to this puzzle…"

"What's that?" Misty asked.

Paul looked up from his finished tea, "Let's go down to evidence and I'll show you.

As he said this, he failed to notice Jericho in the other room, stand up and make his way to the window. It was barred, but still opened a few inches. Far enough for Jericho to slip a small item out the window. It would be good to note that Paul also failed to notice the stream of light that came from the item, or the look of determination on Jericho's face as he sat back down, slipping a hand down each sleeve.

---

Paul dropped down the ladder that led to the basement of the police station, where evidence was housed.

"All he was carrying on him when he came was these." He gestured to the box in front of them prompting everyone to look inside.

They each examined his gun and sword, then Paul took Jericho's bag from the box and scattered the contents across the table. Most of the items were inconsequential, a change of clothes, a toothbrush, a comb. But what really drew attention were the five items that fell from the bag as Paul gave it a few vigorous shakes.

"Oh my." May said simply.

Paul shook his head, "Oh my doesn't even cover it."

Misty picked up one item, a battered old fishing lure, "I gave this to Ash." She whispered, "He always carried it with him."

Gary picked up another, a Pokéball broken at the hinges, attached to a gold chain. Slowly, he drew out a golden chain of his own, with the other half attached, "An exact match." He murmured.

Brock and Max each picked up a contest pass that was lying there and each was signed with the same name: Ash Ketchum.

Then everyone's eyes became riveted on the fifth and final item: a contest ribbon that had been cut cleanly in half. Everyone stared as May pulled a mirror image of it from a chain around her neck. And everyone gasped as she fitted the two parts together into a seamless whole.

"Okay." Brock cut in, "I'm getting to the bottom of this if it kills me." Then he took off at a run for the interrogation room.

As they all ran up several flights of stairs, they passed a bearded man mopping the third floor landing. He gave them a brief look of interest as they passed, then returned his attention to his mop and bucket.

Paul burst into the observation room and stood stunned. Jericho was gone, and he had left the handcuffs on the table with a note scratched into the glass:

_Thought I should return these, thanks for letting me use them._

_ Jericho_

_P.S. I used lock picks hidden up my sleeve to scratch this, if I lost one, please leave it in your nearest dump, and I will find it while searching for dinner._

Paul backed out of the room, then remembered the old man on the third floor, "He's escaped!" He yelled to his cohorts, still behind him. Then he had a glimpse of a bearded man flying up the stairs at the end of the hall, reattaching a gun and sword to his belt with a bag on his back.

"He's making for the roof!" Brock called as he dashed after the man.

"Why the roof?" May asked as they ran, "There's nowhere to go."

"Maybe he forgot." Paul said with a smile.

As they ran up they passed a computer that was frantically running fingerprint matching. Each one was rejected and quickly passed on to the next on, and as they passed, it flashed by the letter _J_ and began matching _K_.

"What's that?" Max asked, breathless.

"It's running fingerprints through missing persons." Paul said as they dashed up the final set of stairs, "He asked me."

---

They emerged onto the roof to see their quarry lounging at the edge looking down, as if interested in a speck he could see on the ground. Then he turned and grinned devilishly.

"Took you long enough. I wanted to thank you for your hospitality before I leave."

Paul leaned against a concrete pillar, "Where're you going to go, we're on the roof. There's no way down, short of jumping."

Jericho opened his mouth to answer, then clutched his head and let out a moan. In his mind's eye, he saw images flashing, sounds, voices, spoke to him, but he couldn't tell what was being said or who was saying it. Then the images cleared and the sound faded, leaving him with a view of his pursuers. As he opened his mouth again to speak, a roar punctured the silence.

"That's my ride." He smiled cockily, then fell backward off the roof.

Paul dashed forward, craning his neck over the edge, watching the man fall. Just before he hit bottom, a long serpentine shape shot out of the night, whisking him away on its back. Paul watched helplessly as the man vanished from view. Then sighed and leaned back.

He walked back to the stairs in a daze and descended to the next floor before settling down on the nearest chair. He wished the noise would stop. Then he realized that everyone was silent, sitting in other chairs, and the noise was an incessant beeping sound coming from the computer.

He walked over to the computer. It had matched Jericho's fingerprints to a missing person. He read the name. Then he did a double-take and read it again. He read it for a third time then staggered back to collapse on a couch.

"His name…" he said, stunned.

"Yeah what about it?" Max asked in a defeated voice.

"… all along it was right in front of me…"

"Well?" May asked, beginning to get annoyed, "What is it?"

Paul looked up and ran a hand through his hair.

"His name is Ash Ketchum."

---

**DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUUUN! Well, if you called it, the good on you. If you didn't, please refer to my note in chapter six. I'm gonna reveal who Ash/Jericho's Pokémon is in the next chapter, so see if you can guess it! However, I probably won't get around to it until the weekend, but still, stay tuned!**


	6. Remembrance

**To all my loyal readers: I will reveal who Ash/Jericho's new Pokémon is, when Ash's friends are talking about him or he is in a part the same as them, he will be referred to as Ash. In his POV, he will e referred to as Jericho. P.S.: THIS IS NOT THE END! Yet… This is probably the penultimate chapter. But I have a new idea for another fanfic. Does anyone have objections to mafia involvement?**

**---**

Jericho, as he had named himself, rested on the back of his loyal Pokémon. He winced slightly, putting a hand to the leg he had sprained when he jumped. Then he seized his head as images and sounds exploded around him. He saw the man who had been in the interrogation room, Paul, but his expression was dark and he was much younger. He saw the boy who he had nearly shot, Max, maybe eight years old here, thumbing a Pokénav on. Memories? But why here, why now? How did he know these people from a past life? Then the fog lifted and he was on his front, his Pokémon flying upward now. He had slipped off its back in his spasms. He grimaced; he hated doing this, so close to the place he had just escaped from.

"Land."

---

Paul staggered down the path from Pallet Town, gripping a stitch in his side. He had to find Ash. He had to tell him who he was. He had seen the dark shape descend from the sky into the forest. He knew where to go. As he picked up the pace he could hear May and Brock calling to him, far behind. He heard them, but couldn't listen. He refused to listen, all he heard was the pounding blood in his ears.

As he rounded the bend to the place he had seen the shape land, he saw him. Ash. Or was it Jericho? He didn't know if there was anything left of the man he had so long admired, but if there was, he would bring him back.

Ash whirled as Paul approached, a Pokéball in his hand, "You again. Didn't I get away from you already?"

"I have to tell you something…" Paul panted.

"Well I have to get out of here."

Paul pulled a Pokéball from his jacket, "If you want to run, you'll have to fight me. Go Honchcrow!"

The bird Pokémon sail from its Pokéball.

"Fine by me." Ash growled, "Go…"

---

Brock and May were leaning against a tree. Both were exhausted from the effort it took to keep up with Paul. As they got ready to give up, the night was rent by an unearthly shriek. May shivered, she had heard that before, she knew it.

Spurred on by urgency, she and Brock rounded the same bend that Paul had, to find him crouching on the ground, fatigued, surrounded by a fainted Honchcrow, Ursaring, Magmortar, Electivire, Weavile, and Torterra.

"Paul!" May cried out, "What happened?!"

"He beat me." Paul groaned, "One hit each. So fast. So powerful." Then he fell back against her knees, "Look." He pointed a single finger forward.

Then May and Brock looked up. Then they froze. Standing before them was the man who had introduced himself as Jericho, who they now knew to be Ash. Across his face was a glare. Behind him towered a behemoth.

Rayquaza.

"Is that…?" May gasped.

"No way." Brock muttered, "That's not possible."

Ash smirked, "Indeed it is. I am Jericho, Tamer of the Great Rayquaza, and I leave you now."

He climbed onto Rayquaza's back, just behind its horns, "I bid thee good day. Fly." He commanded the Sky High Pokémon.

"Wait!" Paul yelled as Ash flew away, "I know who you are!"

Ash shifted in his seat, then spoke again to Rayquaza, "Extremespeed."

The Dragon-type shimmered slightly, then shot off like a bullet from a gun.

"Ash." May sank to the ground in despair, "Ash…"

"We'll find him May." Paul said, his eyes fixed on the sky, "I give you my word."

"Hey, guys. What happened?" Max appeared walking around the bend, Tracey, Misty, and Cynthia trailing behind him.

"Ash got a Rayquaza. Destroyed me." Paul groaned as Cynthia knelt next to him.

"We need to get him to remember." Misty said, "But how?"

"Tracey," Brock said, the man looked up, "Is there any way to get him back?"

Tracey scratched his chin thoughtfully, "The only way I can think of is to trigger a total memory recall. It can be caused by something simple, but he will recall every memory he's ever had, and he will be back… probably."

"What do you mean 'probably'?"

"Well," Tracey grimaced, "there's a 60 percent chance of failure."

"But how?" Brock ignored the 'failure' part.

"What about the ribbon?" Paul interjected, "He took that with him, and he knows it was important to him. Maybe showing him both halves together would work?"

"Yes." Tracey's face lit up, "Seeing both halves would cause him to recall the other half, who it belonged to, and everything connected to them."

They both looked at May, and she looked up, "No." She said, "He could kill me. All of us."

Tracey shook his head, "Not all of his memories are gone, only a few remain, but those of you will cause him to recall the feelings associated with you."

"He's right." Paul said, "If he sees you, he'll hesitate for a moment, and in that moment, you must show him both halves put together."

"But how?" Cynthia muttered, "He has the other half."

"We'll distract him." Paul assured her, kissing her brow, "It's what I do best."

"Okay, so we're agreed on the plan." Misty said, "But how do we get there?"

"Maybe I can help." Max said.

"How?" May asked.

Max dropped a Pokéball on the ground, which released Gallade, "Use Calm Mind."

Gallade closed its eyes, focusing, "Gallade retained some of its future seeing abilities from when it was a Kirlia, watch." Max said.

A brilliant light shone from Gallade, and the onlookers were enveloped in a white glow. They saw a disgruntled looking Ash holding a finger to each temple with Rayquaza looming behind him. Atop his head was a blue Pokémon chattering happily.

May gasped, "That's Manaphy! Where are they?"

The group walked past a sign, which was visible for a few moments before being crushed under Rayquaza's tail: Cinnabar Island.

"Let's go." Max said, "Gallade, teleport."

They all vanished in the blink of an eye.

---

Jericho sat down with a sigh. He had let Rayquaza out of its Pokéball because one cannot keep the Sky King contained very long. So now it was slithering behind him, doing its best to look inconspicuous. As the passed the next beach of Cinnabar, he heard a splashing. He turned his head to the side just in time to see a small blue Pokémon hurtling toward his head.

"What the—" He was cut off as the Pokémon attached itself to his head, chattering wildly.

"Mana! Dada, dada, where's mama?"

"A Manaphy?!" He snapped, "What're you talking about, I'm not your father! Get out of here."

But try as he might, he could not force the Seafaring Pokémon to leave him, so instead he trudged along, a finger to each temple, furiously ignoring the chattering Manaphy and the barely controlled laughter of Rayquaza.

As he came to a halt and was about to physically hurl Manaphy back into the sea, he saw a flash of light before him. It was _them_. They had followed him. How, he did not know, but he would drive them off. He stopped in the middle of the road, a hand on the hilt of his sword. They hadn't seen him yet, but they would. He swiftly mounted Rayquaza, then they charged.

---

The moment Paul saw Ash and Rayquaza break through the trees, he knew his plan had worked. He knew that Ash would attack them because they kept turning up to irk him, so to attack them was in his nature. Their plan was to battle Rayquaza as long as it took for May to get the other half of the ribbon. Then Ash would hopefully return to normal.

Unfortunately, Ash wasn't in on the plan. He dismounted Rayquaza, drew his sword, and engaged Gallade in single combat while Rayquaza took on the rest of their Pokémon, shouting orders over the scream of metal-on-metal. Brock and Tracey were soon out of Pokémon while Paul and Cynthia kept on fighting.

"Max! Get Gallade to aim for the bag!" He yelled.

"Gallade, you heard him!"

Gallade nodded once, then lunged, tearing a long gash in the bottom of the bag, so small, that only the ribbon fell out. Then as if from nowhere, May darted out to grab the other half to the ribbon in her other hand. Ash whipped around, Gallade defeated, and drew his pistol. He raised his arm and prepared to fire. Then on impulse he winced, putting a hand to the side of his head. His face was an amalgamation of pain and confusion. May knew that this was her chance. As she raised her hands before her, she saw the hesitation clearing from his face. It was now or never.

She fitted the two halves together.

---

Jericho fell to the ground as he saw the two halves together. The other half; the girl. May, Max, Brock, all the memories rushed back to him in a single simultaneous blast, like a crumbling dam releasing the floodwaters behind it. A million neural bridges spanned his mind as he remembered his life. Then he collapsed on the ground, twitching spasmodically.

"What's going on?!" a panicked voice asked. May. The voice he had burned to hear.

"That's what I didn't tell you." It was Tracey, "So many neurons firing at once will cause him to have a seizure."

"But did it work?" Brock this time.

Ash/Jericho shuddered, the seizure had passed, "May." He said in a hoarse voice.

She gasped, covering her mouth in shock, then kneeling beside his prone form, "Yes?"

He grinned weakly, "Take me home."

Then he passed out.

---

**Well, there you have it folks, then second-to-last chapter of this fanfiction. I'll write an epilogue, and it'll be up soon. I promise.**


	7. Epilogue: After the Fact

**This shall be the last chapter of this fanfiction. But despair not, fair readers, for another seed of ingenuity has been planted in my head, and soon it shall blossom forth… as soon as I'm done with this.**

**---**

Ash awoke in his room. He pulled himself up from his bed and looked around, everything was the same as the last time he had seen it. He was back. Ash Ketchum was back. He grinned and hurtled down the stairs, where he found his mother sitting at the kitchen table.

"Mom!" He yelled, throwing his arms around her.

"Oh, Ash." She cried, tears falling from her face, "It's so good to have you back. I missed you so much."

"I know." He pulled back.

Delia Ketchum smiled, "There's some other people in the living room who are glad to see you."

They went to the living room to find Brock passed out on the floor with a bottle of beer in his hand. May was asleep on the armchair, Paul and Cynthia were snoozing softly on the sofa, collapsed over each other.

Ash raised an eyebrow, "What's with that?"

Delia smiled, "Paul confessed that he'd always really admired you, and Cynthia was devastated. She believed that your disappearance was her fault. They found comfort in each other and Paul proposed last month."

Ash whistled quietly, alerting a small, yellow mouse to his presence. Pikachu shot across the room from Paul's lap into Ash's waiting arms, who smiled as his oldest friend licked his face.

"Pikachu!"

"I missed you buddy!" Ash's eyes fell on May and he froze. Pikachu, sensing his predicament, dashed over to the sleeping coordinator and poked her awake.

"Huh?" She moaned, waking up, "What is it Pikachu?"

"Pikapi!" The electric mouse jabbed furiously in Ash's direction.

May tripped over herself and stumbled into Ash's arms. She smiled as she buried her face in his shirt, sobbing with happiness. Ash put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up. Then he kissed her. After a long while, he pulle back.

"I love you." He said.

May smiled, "I love you too." She said, hugging him.

"Bravo." Paul said, chewing on a bagel.

Ash and May both looked at him. He was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"When…"

"In the time that you two were kissing, I got up, woke Cynthia, toasted a bagel, cured Brock's terrible hangover, and ate the aforementioned bagel." He said, finishing the last of the circular bread roll.

"Well," Ash said with a smile, "It's good to see you Paul."

Paul smiled sincerely, then rushed forward and gave Ash a man-hug, "You too."

Delia and Cynthia smiled from the kitchen.

"Those two are going to get married within the month you know." Cynthia said.

"Indeed, but I'll savor it while it lasts." Delia answered, "Having Ash back, that is."

---

_Six months later_

"Well, that was a nightmare." Ash said as he fell onto the bed.

"Oh, come on, Ash." May teased, "Getting married wasn't _that_ hard."

Ash just sighed.

---

_Three months later_

"You mean it?!" Ash asked excitedly.

"Yes!" May squealed, "We're having a baby!"

---

_Seven months later_

"Congratulations, Mr. Ketchum, you are the father of a newborn boy." The doctor said, smiling.

"YES!" Ash pumped his fist, then turned to Paul next to him, "Pay up."

Paul rolled his eyes and dug into his wallet.

---

_Ten years later_

He was falling, falling so far he would never be able to climb back up. Then he awoke. Ash bolted upright in his bed in a cold sweat. Then his panicked expression faded. He knew who he was, and where he was. He was in his home in Pallet town, next to his loving wife. He got out of bed and walked through his house. He stroked the sleeping, now-middle aged Pokémon that had been his friend for more than twenty years, along with his mate and their litter, he passed the slumbering giant that had kept his solace in those long, dark years. He walked past his son's bedroom, then double back and entered, kneeling by the bed and stroking the child's hair.

"Sleep well, Daniel." He whispered, before kissing the boy's brow and leaving the room.

As he returned to his room, he felt at peace. He would never forget those most important to him ever again.

---

**And that is how it ends. So, that's all for this story, but never fear, I will post a new one by… tomorrow, or maybe Monday. It all depends on how I'm feeling. But it will be written. And it will (read: might) blow your mind.**


End file.
